The Collingwood side that plays Gold Coast this week may be missing its leading goalkicker, with the tight hamstring that forced Jamie Elliott out of Sunday night’s win over Carlton to be further assessed on Monday.

Nathan Buckley and his players talk strategy during a break in the game. Photo: Getty Images

Eliott was subbed out during the third quarter and replaced by Ben Kennedy who had been brought into the line-up as a late replacement for Tom Langdon. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said Langdon remained a little “dusty” after a heavy hit last week.

“He’s tight in the hammy. The medical feedback was that he hasn’t had a tear, but that it was precautionary. It was tight and it wasn’t loosening up,” said Buckley of Elliott, after the 15-point win.

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“We’ve got a very team oriented group and it’s not a suggestion they would do it maliciously,” Buckley said.

"But I think we were keen to pull the trigger when [with] one more disposal we would find a player 10 or 15 metres closer to goal with half as much pressure on him, and give us twice as much of a chance to kick it.

"I think we're still building that ‘best-shot’ mentality into our footy and it can happen across half-back by using the right option there. Our offence can improve and we'll continue to work on it, but I don't think it was malicious.

“We played some really good footy and probably got a bit fancy through that second quarter. We created a bit of momentum for the opposition and then had to arrest that for the second half.”

He said he liked Kennedy’s game as sub, and thought Steele Sidebottom’s 33-disposal, two-goal game was a good reward for the work he had put in while out suspended for three weeks.

“He’s a very strong leader. He’s developed in that regard this year,” Buckley said.

“He was disappointed with the split second decision, and the repercussion from it four weeks ago, but he’s put a power of work in and he showed that tonight, that professionalism to be ready to go was evident and he performed as a result.”